1. The ceremony follows the Renunciation of Prince Siddhatha Gotama who was the Buddha in his last incarnation. On the first day of the ceremony the candidate dresses as a prince. His head, eyebrows, and facial hair are shaved by a monk of the temple, the first step in the renunciation of worldly ambitions.
2. John dresses in the sarong of a prince.
3. This is the last day that John will be allowed to wear the necklace with the Buddha image. After he is ordained he will have to remove the necklace and wear only the monks robes that are offered to him by the laity. The monk is prohibited from adorning his body with perfume of jewelry.
4. A member of the laity secures the kroma worn by the ordained. The right shoulder is kept bare.
5. John, his family, and friends enjoy a special meal of rice soup called bau bau. This will be John's last meal as a member of the lay community. After today he is not allowed to eat after the noon hour. The monks who reside in the temple will remain downstairs in their living quarters until the meal is finished. Traditionally, meals would be eaten in another room or building out of view of the Buddha statue; this however is one of many digressions from strict observance that the Cambodian Community of Lowell has had to make in re-establishing Buddhism in the Greater Lowell area.
6. After the meal the laity are led by the achar (senior members of the laity who officiate and guide the lay community during ceremonies) in chanting.
7. The laity chant to the Three Refuges: the Buddha, the Dhama (the teachings of the Buddha), and the Sangha (the community of monks); and the five precepts: to abstain from killing, lying, taking what is not offered, liquor, and sexual misconduct.
8. The Buddha statue. This statue has not yet been consecrated and is therefore not considered a religious symbol of the Buddha. In a later section we will discuss the consecration ceremony.
9. John's mother (right). Before the ordination ceremony is performed it is necessary for the candidate to receive his parent's permission to enter the monastic order. The candidate must also be free of debt. These requirements are made so that the monk will not be distracted from religious practice and study.
10. John bows three times to his mother in farewell.
11. John is assisted by the achar (background). John will bow to the rest of the laity after he has finished bowing to his mother.
12. The monks have returned from downstairs to conduct the chanting that will bless the ordained and the laity. The monks are led in the chanting by the abbot, Venerable Sao Khon (background). Venerable Sao Khon was consulted to determine and auspicious day to perform the ordination ceremony. It is believed that this day must be in harmony with the ordained's personal orientation to the stars and planets.
13. Venerable Sao Khon lights a candle and begins to melt the wax into the bowl of holy water placed before him. The monks were served orange juice by members of the laity.
14. Venerable Sao Khon sprays the candidate then the laity with holy water. This is a means of sharing the merit earned by the ordination. Earning merit in order to gain power over the agents of causation, which determine worldly prosperity and the plane of existence of future lives, is at the heart of popular Buddhist belief. This marks the end of the first day of the ordination ceremony.
15. The second day of the ordination begins after the usual daily prayer and noon meal. John dresses into the outfit he wore the previous day and the lay women offer the individual members of the laity flowers and candles and three sticks of incense in preparation for the procession that is the next step in the ordination ceremony. The laity begins to assemble outside the temple and John's robes are placed in a silver tray which will be balanced on the head of a lay woman who will lead the procession at John's side. The Konrope Trie described earlier (see the full chapter on the Ordination of the Novice Monk) is placed over the robes. Participation in the ordination is considered to be a valuable means of earning merit especially to those who are directly involved, such as the woman carrying the tray.
16. The laity assemble.
17. The procession is ready to begin. At the head of the procession are John's closest friends who, according to the Renunciation of Prince Siddhatha Gotama, are to try to dissuade him from his objective with their worldly lives. This is not taken seriously and any attempts are made in fun. To John's left is another American Buddhist who is holding the begging bowl that he will offer John once he is ordained. Traditionally, the monks beg for their daily food during morning rounds through the village.
18. The procession parades around the temple three times in recognition of the Three refuges. They keep their right shoulder to the temple.
19. The women wear their best sarongs and lace kromas.
20. Smile!
21. The procession returns inside the temple and John is asked to sit before the monks who are arranged in a circle and are prepared to receive him. John bows three times to the woman who carried his robes which are set beside him.
22. John stands before the monk who will act as his spiritual guide. While holding his robes he reads from Pali chants (Pali is the religious language of Theravada Buddhism).
23. He then kneels before his spiritual guide while continuing to recite the Pali chants.
24. John offers the spiritual guide his robes.
25. The spiritual guide returns the kroma of the monk and John removes the kroma of the Prince.
26. John is offered the sarong of the monk with instructions to repair to the corner and change.
27. Members of the laity help John to change into the sarong of the monk.
28. John returns, reads last stanzas of Pali chants, then bows three times to his spiritual guide. John is now ordained as a novice monk.
29. The monks chant encouraging John to faithfully keep the ten precepts of the Novice which require that he refrain from killing, lying, taking what is not offered, liquor, sexual misconduct, adorning his body with perfume, sleeping in a luxurious bed, eating at forbidden times, dancing or music shows, and receiving money. Venerable Sao Khon then sprays holy water on the laity to convey merit to all present.
30. Venerable John Massey takes his place among the Order.
    

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